5 Tips for Better Performing Email Nurture Series
There is a place for email nurture series at all stages of the prospect journey. This post is based on work I recently did for a few clients; in one case the nurture series was the first outreach to people with little or no relationship with the sender (yes, the list was not opt-in; we […]
The Simple Email Segmentation Framework You Should be Using
We talk a lot about ‘segmentation’ in email, and rightfully so. It’s one of the most powerful tools we have to increase relevance, improve engagement, protect deliverability, and drive conversions. But in many organizations, segmentation gets flattened into a single to-do item: “Did you segment the list?” Which often translates to something like: It’s not […]
When a Brand Mistakes Email Frequency for Strategy
Let’s talk email frequency. In July 2025, Groupon sent me 133 emails. Let that sink in. That’s 4.3 emails per day, every day, all month long. Weekends included. Holidays? Didn’t matter. I haven’t heard from some family members that often in the past year. Or five years. Here’s what I got from them on July […]
Value-First Email Strategy: A Better Way to Nurture Long-Term Leads
It’s always fun to create value-first email messages for my consulting clients. They don’t have a CTA to “Buy now” or “Schedule a call” or even “Download the thing.” They just show up in the inbox with a smile, a little value, and an encouraging nudge: Hey, we’re still here — and still worth opening. […]
How Much Better Are Opt-In Email Lists? Try 15X Better.
Opt-in vs. Not-opt-in: Does permission really matter? Spoiler alert: Yes. And yes, the difference is very real. I’ve been in the email marketing trenches for 25+ years, and one of the few constants in this ever-evolving channel is this: permission-based lists perform better. But anecdotal wisdom is one thing. Cold, hard case study data is […]
Sacrilege Alert: Is Your Segmentation Doing More Harm than Good
Sometimes segmentation and targeting in email marketing actually hurt performance more than they help. I know. I just heard the collective gasp from many of those in the industry. But hear me out. Segmentation is great, in theory. In practice? Not always. Let’s unpack why. Segmentation Takes Time — Lots of It Every time we […]
Tips from the Indy 500 for More Effective Email Marketing
Every Memorial Day weekend, I tune in to the Indianapolis 500. It’s more than just a race to me, it’s a ritual. I’ve been watching it (or listening to it) every year for decades, ever since I was a kid. In fact, as a kid, I was actually at the 1973 race, the one that’s […]
Want a 46% increase in email list growth? [Case Study]
Putting your email opt-in call-to-action (CTA) in the footer isn’t a best practice if you want to grow your email list.
10 Ways This Reactivation Email Could be Improved [From My Inbox]
Sending an email to reactive subscribers? Here’s an example of how not to do it – with tips for improvement. I got an email tonight – from a brand I’m not familiar with. I’ve blurred the identifying details to avoid publicly shaming them. But I do hope they see this post – there are so […]
The Honeymoon Effect: New Subscribers Generate Higher Revenue Than Existing Subscribers (3,922% more!)
For most organizations, older names on your list will perform less well than people that recently opted in to receive email from you. It’s something I call the honeymoon effect – newer people on your list are typically more excited to receive your email – and more likely to read and take action on it. […]